Jenni Hermoso along with her players’ union has urged the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to take action against Luis Rubiales following an inappropriate kiss during World Cup celebrations.
The attacking midfielder has broken her silence for the first time since the incident took place on Sunday night after Spain had secured the Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory over England.
As the Spanish players were walking up to the podium to collect their winners’ medals the federation’s president Rubilaes was captured kissing Hermoso without her consent.
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She was captured saying, ‘I didn’t enjoy that’, while on camera following the incident.
Now, FUTPRO, the union that represents women’s players in Spain has released a statement calling for the RFEF to ensure the rights of players.
Hermoso’s statement read: “My FUTPRO union, in coordination with my TMJ agency, are taking charge of defending my interests and being the interlocutors on this matter.”
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FUTPRO went on to release their own statement condemning the behaviours of Rubiales.
They wrote: “From FUTPRO we express our firm and resounding condemnation of behaviors that violate the dignity of women.
“From our association we ask the Royal Spanish Football Federation to implement the necessary protocols, ensure the rights of our players and adopt exemplary measures.
“It is essential that our team, the current world champion, is always represented by figures who project values of equality and respect in all areas.
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“It is necessary to continue advancing in the fight for equality, a fight that our players have led with determination, leading us to the position in which we find ourselves today.
“We also call on the Higher Sports Council so that, within its powers, it actively supports and promotes prevention and intervention in the face of sexual harassment or abuse, machismo and sexism.
“FUTPRO rejects any attitude or conduct that violates the rights of soccer players and from the union we are working so that acts like the ones we have seen never go unpunished, are sanctioned and the pertinent measures are adopted to protect soccer players from actions that we believe are unacceptable.”
Spanish government officials had called for Rubiales to resign following his behaviour on Sunday night, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling his apology ‘insufficient and inadequate’.
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Rubiales had been over-the-top with his celebrations, grabbing his crotch in a victory gesture with 16-year-old Infanta Sofia and Queen Letizia of Spain standing nearby.
FIFPRO, the organisation which represents all professional footballers, also released a statement after the Spanish players’ association (AFE) had also called for Rubiales’ resignation.
The statement read: "FIFPRO fully endorses the statement of the AFE in calling for immediate action to address the conduct of Rubiales at the final and is requesting an investigation of his actions under FIFA's code of ethics.
"We reiterate that it was deeply lamentable that such a special moment for the players of the Spain team taking place before a global television audience should be stained by the inappropriate conduct of an individual in a role carrying so much responsibility.
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"Uninitiated and uninvited physical approaches towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context, and especially not when they are put in a position of vulnerability by a person who holds a position of power over them in their workplace."
SPORTbible has reached at to the RFEF for comment.
Featured Image Credit: ITV/Getty.Topics: Womens Football, Womens World Cup, Spain